HOPES DAWN
by Captain Saint 1st
Summary: The guild known as HOPES DAWN an heavenly faction of many holy and good natured beings had 73 players and it has a famous history albeit tragic, 72 players betrayed the guild leader for having an heavy anti-PK standing, this lead to their annihilation, and now on the day of the shutdown, the new world is about to receive divine intervention


The guild known as HOPES DAWN an heavenly faction of many holy and good natured beings had 73 players and it has a famous history albeit tragic, 72 players betrayed the guild leader for having an heavy anti-PK standing, this lead to their annihilation, and now on the day of the shutdown, the new world is about to receive divine intervention

I was their when it was released, I was 14 year old naive teen taking their first step to view the world for what it is.

This world, Yggdrasil, was a world full of wonder and fantasy but had a lot of RW elements to it.

When you die you start from square 1 again, while your level goes down by 1 you lose everything that you had on your person, all your weapons armour potions, everything.

This was something you had to accept in this world, it was a lesson of sorts, it taught us to place high value on our lives and our high tire equipment, especially the premium stuff that drained the wallet.

Everyday something new is learned after mistakes were made. And in the early days of this game PKs reigned supreme.

There were many bands and groups solely dedicated to overwhelming high levelled solo players and stealing their loot, and most times they killed each other because someone had an rare item or an limited event item. It got to a point after 5 years of these guys running around that the game was starting to have large amount of players forever log off.

So I decided to make a difference, I learned that there was safety in numbers, so with my high paying IRL job and close in game friends and with other players sympathetic to our cause, we started pooling our resource grinding for high tire items, levelling our characters and training with them we founded the guild Hopes Dawn.

I was the guild leader and primarily the one who handled most of the important decisions leading to its creation, including the guild weapon that if destroyed would disband the guild as well losing everything, we had put into it in the process as well, it was a simple bland great sword but in time it would look much more different.

A guild that was at first started out with 13 players with equivalent level of 40-44s we started a crusade against the most well-known groups of PKs guilds and other alike, we spent our RW money wisely our battle grounds carefully and our supporters in the right direction, we recovered what was stolen and returned it back to their rightful owners albeit most in the guild would of liked to keep some of the items we found, but that is not what we are about, our fights inspired many others to ban together and fight the PKs as well most requesting to join our guild and when we found that our impact was far reaching, that players were returning to the game we knew we were winning and the fight would soon be over. This crusade that we waged lasted 3 years.

By god we saved the game from the PKs.

While there were still many PK guilds around their actions were toned down to a manageable level, as were ours, we didn't need to fight them anymore as with the years gone by, new updates and patches released a whole bunch of things that we missed because of our little war.

But because of the war we levelled up a lot to near 70s and most of the new quest and adventures that were available were low levelled but granted some pretty great items like NPC level up quest, guild interior items and much more like character cosmetics and boss fights granting rare drops

We also had a lot of new members we have 60 new players to the game under our banner who heard of our exploits brining the guild cap to 73. We gave ourselves 2 years of relaxing, levelling our mates, decking out our guild and NPCs.

Our guild was looking like heaven as most of our characters are of angelic origin, of courses we have a few dryads, high elves, spirits who levelled to divine nature, fairy's, humans and an odd heteromorphic race like a dragonnoid's or slime doppelganger.

While I was present for the design of the 9 floors of Hopes Dawn, I left most of the looks to the players with degrees in architectural design and landscaping. The creation of NPCs dedicated to the defence of our guild was handled by a IRL cop player, they mostly used many types of angel NPCs to do most of the combat and a few combative dragons and spirits, someone made a bunch of dryads and fairy's to act as persuado gardeners to the 4h floors gardens named Eden and another guy from France had all of the NPC spirits don French maid outfits to serve as house keepers, I'm pretty sure one of the Japanese players was in charge of their looks because of reasons that don't need explaining.

My only creation regarding the NPC were the seraphim's of the angel class, there was 8 of them, 1 per floor serving as the floor guardian or manager, I made them to originally serve as an backup fighting force in the PK war but now they served as very good guild defenders.

We went on a few story line quest, then some dungeon raids and took part in several limited time events and yearly festivals were we acquired quite a few world class items from the boss drops, and speaking of world class items.

After a year there was a big update that was said to release in parts.

The first was the guild weapons could become world class items

What was once a bland looking great sword was now decked out golden holy sword.

While I was its primary user and used it in some battles and customised its stats of what it could do. Its world class designation only came to be when I loaned it to one of our British players whose job IRL was a historian. He went on an limited time event where he collected enough martials to make the sword a world class item.

He even gave the thing practically a cut and paste of the legend of Excalibur into its description and gave an extra ability where it acted like a laser sword that dealt stupendous amount of DPS then there was the damage multiplier that was already on it thus making it the debatably strongest world class item our guild possessed.

The second was the level cap for all character classes were raised to 100 and specialized racial class were unlocked, though my grind to 100 was sort lived for me as I decided I had to get it for in one of my racial branches of my angle build I had a path that led to a rare stage of angle evolution.

God class

While every angel had this option the only real downside to it is that only 1 player out of millions were allowed to become an angelic god class. And who wouldn't, you had more HP than anyone else, the damage you took was cut in half, the damage you dealt was increased and you had two skills that are world breaking.

The first skill named Divine Protection: gave all who are targeted an invincibility lasting for over a minute, health restoration and all de-buffs they would be afflicted with would be removed the cool down on default was 45 hours.

The second skill was named Rapture: all who are targeted will be instantly one-shotted the only downside to it was that it could only be used once a year.

And those were the start defaults, once they were maxed out, they will truly be world breaking.

It was a race against millions of other angle players all over the world as they tried to be the one to be the god of angel.

It would be also the start of a rift that would soon form in the guild of Hopes Dawn.

It was near the end of the race was when I found that my guild mates were becoming oddly bitter and jealous of me.

I don't know when it started, I don't even know what it is even about, I have only been caring and friendly to them snice the very creation of the guild, I could understand that I was levels above everyone thus being the strongest, maybe it was the rules of the guild, they have been in place in the second year of the PK war. Was it the owner ship of the NPC for they were all under the co-owner ship of the guild master as a game feature only the guild master can say who allowed what, the same goes for the world items.

It was something that I never really paid much attention to as I was focusing on the race, I spent a large amount of my time soloing some of the hardest raid bosses and low level world bosses to increase my level and be a step further in the race.

In the end in a very close call I managed to obtain the final stage of the angle evolution the God class, in what should have been a celebratory moment, it was then the guild started raising their voices of discontent, I was really worrying over them, I was wondering what I was doing wrong, I mean what is wrong, I have called for meetings with them over and over again yet they refuse to tell me.

I tried to catch them and ask, but I'm avoided like the plague, I tried to meet to some of the guys I know in surprise meetings in game but they leave as soon as they see me, this sort of thing had been going on for a month before next part of the update.

It gave a new feature where the player base had the option for changing their character from one race class to another race keeping the players stats and levels but they would start from scratch equipment wise, it was a sort of new game plus.

Within the end of the week it was in play, my friends did something I never saw coming.

As one they all, and I mean all 72 of them met me in the guild arena and I idly noted that most of the NPCs were here but they were just a passing thought right now, for my attention was on my guild mates, I remember asking what they were doing and the answer I got left me in silence for the longest time.

Almost as they rehashed this, they all opened their menus and every single one of them disbanded from Hopes Dawn.

I didn't hear what they said when they did that.

I was just standing there doing nothing.

I couldn't do anything.

I couldn't raise my voice in protest, cry out whys, what's and when's.

I just did nothing like some brain dead idiot when they left.

I remember heading back to the grand throne room that also acted as a grand ball room.

I sat down on the throne and stayed there for…I don't know how long I was there for, but I know it was long enough for me to realise that I'd slept there while still in game.

I know I've fallen into an depression; it's been effecting my work IRL that I was forced to take a month off because of my shit state of mind.

For two weeks minimum my days consisted of wake up have breakfast, sit in the living room contemplating the 'what if's' and many other thoughts on my guilds betrayal.

Oh apparently it became a highlight and most talked about event that has happened in the game forums and other sites. YouTube, twitch, discord, Facebook, my guilds betrayal was known worldwide. I got message offering condolences from different guild masters for hearing of what happened.

The effect was big, Hopes Dawn was a guild known for practically saving the game of Yggdrasil from being overpopulated with PKs guilds, they were known to have the best gear, the best guild master, the most WORLD items, and have the best morals that a guild abides by and to hear that 99% of the guild left leaving the guild master as the sole player was a bomb that no one thought could ever hit.

Now in game, PK guilds are more active than ever but have a far harder time since many guilds have alliance or are just too strong and follow a similar anti-PK standing, ether way the game was in turmoil as the once semi-peaceful virtual lands were now filled with conflict.

Then I found out where my ex-friends were and what they were doing.

They changed their in game avatars created their own guild named Hells Dawn.

The name infuriated me beyond belief. So much so I jumped right back into the game, I gathered all of the NPCs in the guild, it didn't matter what they where I was going to war.

It was surprisingly easy to find my ex-friends, the information broker, a ghost type player who specialised in stealth gave me the information I sought without hesitation nor even asking for a price.

As I was leaving the safe zone town where the broker was usually stationed it seemed that the entire player base was gazing upon me. They must of known who I was and what my intentions whereas they stayed way away from being.

Soon I found the guild known as Hells Dawn, it was based in the realm of Helheim, a frozen tundra where you'd find many mobs of frost origin lurking about, their base was in the centre of a crater that was once a tomb which held the world boss, now it was their guild.

It was still in the process of being built, but I didn't care about that detail.

I came all the way here to satiate my overwhelming anger and need for revenge.

I didn't come prepared, I didn't have plan, I only had my guild weapon, my stats, and my NPCs

They seemed to know I was here as all 72 of the traitors came out.

I could feel their smug looks, high and mighty attitude, their degrading remarks and jokes of an easy victory.

No

It was just as I pictured it in my angered mind

Like all battles we charged, met in the middle, and fought for supremacy.

While we fought, I could tell I would win, but they thought they'd win as well

I can't fault them for that, it was 1 level 100 player against 72 level 100s, and while they low to medium levelled gear, it didn't seem to matter as their stats would make it so their strikes were near the same level of power as a default mode high tire gear, they should by all right be the ones who would win.

But this was not the case

I was covered head to toe in fully upgraded divine gear, my guild weapon was a world class, my stats made it so I do world breaking amounts of damage, and I was very skilled in what I do, but you cannot forget that I came with all of the NPCs of Hopes Dawn.

The 8 floor guardians the seraphim's were level 100 with their own unique fighting style and build, the combative units that severed under them level 90-70 of all types, I even brought along the lowest levelled NPCs which were the maids of the guild and they were 67-60.

It didn't matter if there were 72 of them at level 100, they would lose horribly, we had highest tire of equipment at our disposal, we had the numbers and the damage output, It didn't matter if they couldn't do precise manoeuvres like the 72 nor get the combos, the armour and health they had would keep them going.

And when all 72 were now in the red, when the fight reached its final conclusion, they were practically begging me to let them live, they were grovelling in the snow covered ground weeping to let me spare, to keep their levels, to keep their sham of a guild, to give me all the high quality items they find, to be loyal to me and only me.

No, not a chance in hell, I don't care if I'll be called cruel and monstrous for what I'm about to do, as no one betrays me in such a manner and build an atrocious replica of my guild to sally its name, no one.

With a tenth tire divine binding spell and the usage of the angelic God class skill Rapture.

I destroyed their demonic avatars sending all 72 players levels all the way down to level 1. They would not be a real threat to me in the next 8 years, 4 if they drain their wallets for premium start. Their guild weapon and their guild itself following after that were also destroyed.

With the deed done and nothing left to do, my NPCs and I returned back to the guild. The NPCs going back to whatever they do, and I.

I sat back on the throne in the throne room slash great ball room.

Soon I returned back to other task I had planned for the guild.

Minor renovations would be made but nothing to noticeable at first glance, a few more added NPCs because I can, a couple of security upgrades, levelling the NPCs, taking part in raids and other event related quest and helping a new guild to get to a safe level cap where they could fend for themselves. Hunting down PKs, ending their guilds, defend my guild from serval raid attempts, grinding my skills to max, and sadly denying invitation request for player to join my guild.

I honestly did have the will to have new players join my guild anymore for an ill rational fear that they betray me again.

Well not like there would be anything worthwhile if I did allow them to join as there was another major update after 4 years from the incident.

Yggdrasil online was shutting down in only 1 short month and there was noting the community could do about it.

When I first heard the news, I felt like my common calm had been compromised, after getting my thoughts together it was then I felt furry at this decision.

I had spent nearly two decades of blood sweat and tears into this game, and they just want blow it all up, such absurdity.

When my furry subsided, I felt depression, it was not as bad as I felt when my…when they left. Granted I was very dumped out and my mood was in swings. Halfway through the month I accepted this decision by the devs.

As I looked into why the game was being shut down, I could only begrudgingly accept it. Yggdrasil was the best game of this time, it was the first of its kind, and it generated so much profit in the first month of its release. It was then after a decade did other company's start selling other games like it.

The market was given new games that were superior to Yggdrasil.

And so when players see new games like them, it hard to tell them not to play them but to totally abandon the game itself for the next best thing was disrespectful in my point of view.

Thus here we find ourselves now at the end of the month.

The end in just 4 short hours.

I took it upon myself to stay

Until the end

[]

It was time to say goodbye

Glancing at my wall clock it is a few hours till midnight the time when everything would be erased

I made my why to my bed taking care to avoid beer bottles, glasses, bras, panties, pieces of random cloths and a half eaten pizza in its box.

Laying down I placed the VR visor over my eyes hook up to the computer drive to side and sit back and let my body became limp as my mind is transferred to a virtual world of wonders.

Soon the game title is displayed before a notice comes up saying that the game would soon be shutting down.

I idly swiped it away and proceed anyway.

My avatar came into display.

It was a masterpiece, a me that will never be me. A body that had everything one could desire to be.

An angle, but just any other regular angel, it was of the highest calibre. A Goddess of angels.

She had long gold hair reaching my avatars lovely round shaped ass, here hair glowed with power in a soft gold, There was also a large gold halo hovering above her head, said halo was encased in a silvery crown with gold tint at the edge and the halo itself was glowing through the curricular metal that went all around.

The face was pure and strong with sharp cheeks and dashing blue electric eyes, and a light pink mouth. The armour she had on was a slight revealing silvery gold holy robes, it showed off the bountiful chest area nearly breaking the modesty code program rule, the hands to the elbow wear bare as showing the slender motherly looking limbs, the feet were clad in low heels shoes.

The most defining feature of the avatar was the 18 wings on the back of the Goddess, each one was pure gold and shining in holy light.

Her name is Catherel Dawn, the greatest angel player and one and only to reach the God class racial level, the pinnacle of all angels.

With a slow sigh I knew it would mean nothing at the start of the new day.

Clicking on my avatar and entering the game I see that I'm back where I last logged off from.

Right in the throne room

The sight of it amazed me every time I saw it.

The 9th floor is where it was as well as all the other player rooms, so I began by getting up off my throne and started making a grand tour of my greatest creation from the top to bottom then back up again.

The Grand Ball Throne Room, it was truly awe inspiring, from when you enter through the 2 giant front doors in a white steel material each with a large cross on them with in the centre spiralling holy energy. As you came through you see a crimson red carpet lead all the way to the throne itself, a royal seat made for a king no more like a god.

If you looked around the ball section there you see many round tables with 8 chairs tucked in all covered in white fabric with gold trimmings, and the centre was a large dance floor about 50 meters in diameter the marble floor was designed in a way where it was impossible for to describe its majesty and the walls were very extravagated in their own design with many paintings showing off all every interpretation of a seraphim, as well there were great glass panes with a cross design shining in light from the artificial sun in game

The ceiling was very high up there as well, I don't know how far up it went but guess would be around 200m to 150m, but the eye catcher up their aside from the architecture was the very large chandelier with 3 large rings rotating around a glowing ball of holy energy and projecting light down to the dance floor.

The 8th floor was where guess rooms where as well as the room of all of the NPCs and it really wasn't much to see except for many differently styled rooms, but there was one thing of note. There was the Grand Library. At first it was just a waste of space, a room with many high shelves, it only became something of pure serenity to read in when I had nothing better to do in the last days of the game, so I went around the worlds collecting mundane books of legends and magical tomes that increased magic capabilities and other books just for the sake of making it a library, and I'm kinder glad I spent that time doing so as this place really dose make me want to grab a random book and just read in a quiet little corner.

The 7th floor was an armoury and vault of the treasury and world class items. The armoury held all of the gear and equipment utilised by the denizens of Hopes Dawn. From spears, swords, daggers, great swords, halberd's, arrows, bows, and oddly firearms, yeah, the devs gave us guns. Many more items from high tire to ancient tire magical weaponry and enchanted armour it had it. The treasury was self-explanatory, but the vault, that was the most heavily guarded place in the entire guild, in all of the game's history and limited number of world class items, Hopes Dawn had the largest number of them by date, and they would be guarded till the whole guild was raised to the ground.

The vault door was made out of a material where only tenth tire magic, ancient gear and world class items would be able to even make a crack on the door it-self.

The 6th floor was just one big combat arena or should I say roman colosseum. The field was modular as you could put in a desert, snowy field, a rain forest or mountainous terrain it didn't matter, the arena would shift to the users desire. It was as far as any invading raiding party would ever make it every time.

The 5th floor is pretty much a stereotypical known dungeon or repentance cell. The rooms were all strong enough to hold a level 100 player and restrain them appropriately. Though unfortunately there was one section of the floor that I was unable to remove from the place and was known as the pleasure room made by the guilds former pervs. I don't want to go back in their ever again.

The 4th floor is known as Eden. The whole place is a nature reserve filled with so many magical creatures and mundane animal it was tended to the nymphs, dryads, nature spirits and fairies of all types, divided into five section, the first a large jungle the second large plain grassy field with a single tree in the middle, the third a mountainous area with great waterfalls and rivers leading to the centre, the forth an artificial sea with a resort beach. And finally in the centre the fifth zone of Eden floor was a flied of many flowers in eternally bloom where a gazebo laid in the middle of the field, it was nicknamed the garden of Avalon.

The 3rd floor was a large stable where many of the magical mounts laid and called home, it held many heavenly dragons, griffins and Pegasus.

The 2nd floor was ground floor that lead to the outside of the guild, it had a miniature city styled to look like a mix of all eras from feudal japan to renaissance Europe, there were many angels in the city it was populated with my latest created angelic NPCs and other types of holy type heteromorphic like tailed fox's, heavenly oni's and dragonnoids as few example then we have fairy's, dryads and spirits, they were mostly acting as persuado citizens and many of them in family's and promising recruits for the maids and combative types and all were housed between the great walls where many of the combative type NPCs were stationed and the guild itself which looked like a towering castle with the top shining a large beacon of gold holy light, it used to be silver but when I achieved god class I changed it to gold, quite fitting in a way. If one would go beyond the walls, they would see a cliff face where they would then finally find out that the entire guild was on a floating island where the entire space was filled out and converted into an angelic citadel slash town.

If you were wondering it was based in the realm of Valhalla.

The 1st floor was the mines where most if not the materials were mined from to make most of the guild, all managed by golems as a mining force.

And there you had it, Hopes Dawn from top to bottom.

Moving through the grand doors that entered into the grand ball throne room I took my seat on the throne itself laying back for a minute contemplating what to do

I looked at the time and saw that I only had the bare minimum of 3 minutes left in this game.

So calling the 8 floor guardians to stand before me.

I am honestly pleased with how I made them out to be, my own personal creations, the seraphim, angles who had 16 wings of the most purest white feathers that shone like the moons glow and large silver iron halos

Guardians of the first floor and second floor I made out to be twins, Gawain and Gareth Dawn the gate keepers of Hopes Dawn.

Both had blond hair and blue eyes, Gawain was large in stature of 6,7ft, equipped in heavy silver armour, with gold and blue cloth flaps on his hips and arms, an aqua blue cape that didn't impede movement to his wings that covered him head to toe but his helm was not on as I wanted to see his face along with the rest of his siblings. His weapons a pure white holy attributed long sword of simplistic design and a V shaped shield that was far bigger than his body.

Gareth was half her twins size only coming up to his chin, she had white hooded robes with gold ascents running lines through it and light sliver blue armour covering her hands to shoulders, knees to boots. Weaponry she focused on, an bow that glowed in golden aura as it was able to fire directed energy holy beams, and with an array of support magic spells she could assist her brother. She was beauty

Next was Able Dawn my beast tamer of the 3rd floor, with blue eyes and blonde hair but his very tips bore streaks of forest green in it, he looked about 23 years of age athletic but muscular build, stood at 6,5, he wore mainly green robes with a splash of white into the mix, medium silver armour carrying a naginata spear sword.

The Seraphim who guarded the 4th floor was Graces Dawn. The keeper of Eden. She was the most magic originated one of her siblings, she called upon an immense mana pool to cast many 9th and 7th tire attack spells and de-buff spells in rapid succession, red eyes, very long blonde hair at her roots but it blended further down into a deep red, her face sported a face of a mother, sweet soft features and standing at 6,4ft. Her robes was a bit more revealing as her back was bare along with her forearms and thighs, the rest of her body is garbed in a nearly see through silk cloth robe.

Then came my Angle of Death, Vail Dawn, my shadow, my personal Grim Reaper. Vail is the most stealthiest of the Seraphim, her short blonde hair bled into a dark pitch black stopping at her shoulders, her silver eyes shown brilliantly on her floor as it was a dark place, she was also the smallest of her siblings at only 6,2ft. garb in pitch black robes that offered high movement speed and concealment stats, it was a bit form fitting showed enough of her feminine charm, and her weapon only made her look more like the reaper was her scythe, its long pole and blade were enchanted to make her deal more damage and have a very deadly poison to the blade teeth. She lacked from the most HP of all and her defence was low but her insane speed and high damage and high crit chance made it worth it, she would dash in cause massive amount of damage then slip away before anyone even knew what happened.

Lion Dawn was the master of the 6th and 7th floor and was a multipurpose fighter, he would use everything in the armoury to destroy his foes, his hair blonde took more of a purplish hue that complemented his amethyst eyes he was the second largest of the bunch coming to 6,8ft. with muscular frame and fitted with heavy armour with the same sort of style from Gawain only his shoulder armour pads were larger and his helm had a cross eye silts visor. Overall the guy was made to combat nearly any opponent thrown at him.

Serina Dawn is pretty much the Dorm manger and Liberian of the 8th floor, blond hair kept in a braided bun, blue electric eyes behind small smart glasses her face looked stern as she was a very mature looking women as stood at 6,6ft her white blue robes had no armour as she primarily used magic along with a metallic staff that boosted her capability's but in terms of raw magic power, Grace was more area of effect and destructive while Serina was very well versed in precision and deadly thin magical holy beams, she could set many traps and illusions as well as call upon summons.

Finally the Lord Commander of the Seraphim, Cain Dawn, the tallest of the bunch at 7ft. his hair was just blond while his eyes were Forrest green but took a more stern look. His face and body were sculpted to perfection like the rest of the angles I created. His armour was in-between heavy and medium and was coloured in pure silver with glowing gold lines of power, his weapon was a great sword not a powerful as Excalibur but close enough. He commanded every floor and every NPC in the guild when I would be unavailable. I made sure of it in his lore that wrote, he was the best of them.

But tighter they were unstoppable.

They were beautiful.

And they would be gone by tomorrow.

Checking the time I see I only had a minute left

"my children, oh how lovely you all are."

56

"an unforeseen event has occurred where I will be forced to leave you all"

45

"it is not my choice, and I have fought against it as long as I can"

41

"I do not want to leave you, my children, I don't want to leave any of you and the rest of my children here"

33

"but it is a fight I can not win, the beings I tried to fight are far more powerful than I will ever be"

23

"they will take you away from me, and I will never be able to see you again."

16

"I wish there was another way, I wish there was a way to stay, but their power is absolute"

10

"I wish to stay"

5

"I wish"

2

"god almighty, my father in heaven please I pray to you let me stay"

1

"until the end"

0

I closed my eyes waiting for the darkness to fade and to hear the sounds of my room to hear the soul crushing existence of reality

+6

Instead I feel

+16

I feel

"mother are you ok"

w-WHaT

my eyes slammed wide open

+21

I was still in the throne room of my guild which startles me, but that pales to what I see before me

+34

My children, my Seraphim have moved without my order, they are by my side, their faces are morphed into different expressions of worry

'w-whats h-h-happe-ing'

"mother please don't go please stay please"

That was vail, she hugging me she hugging me she hugging me!

"something has happened" my voice is not my voice it is something else entirely


End file.
